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There are many reasons why one would remember William Henry Gates - Microsoft, technology et al. But, I would remember Bill for his life after Microsoft via his

There are many reasons why one would remember William Henry Gates - Microsoft, technology et al. But, I would remember Bill for his life after Microsoft via his philanthropy. He's having an unprecedented impact on global society in energy, health care, education and many more areas which are too many to list. Even his worst of technology critics (like me) can't hide away from the fact of his impact on modern society. I was reading the 2013 Annual letter from Bill Gates as part of Gates Foundation [0]. Each word in the report is magnificently detailed and precise. Gates foundation has helped "almost" completely eradicate polio with lesser than 1000 reported cases in the world. This is pretty amazing! If and when polio would be completely wiped out of the face of this earth, it would just be the second disease to be wiped out. Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries with children affected by polio. I also see a sharp decline in child-birth cases. This report is a MUST read and if possible do your bit to support the Gates foundation. Even if he doesn't do a single thing from now on - Bill Gates has earned his RESPECT with not only his impact in technology but life outside technology. Personally, I would always remember Bill as the philanthropist rather than the tech-wizard. [0] http://annualletter.gatesfoundation.org/pdf/2013_AL_English.pdf http://annualletter.gatesfoundation.org/pdf/2013_AL_English....

simonebrunozzi 13y ago
Link doesn't work.
- denzil_correa 13y ago
  Thanks, I fixed it now.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- pmelendez 13y ago
  This seems to be the document he tried to link: http://annualletter.gatesfoundation.org/pdf/2013_AL_English.pdf http://annualletter.gatesfoundation.org/pdf/2013_AL_English....
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
vowelless 13y ago
It is also interesting to see that the Computer Science departments at many of the world's best CS schools are named after Gates [0]. I think generations of computer scientists will be affected by him. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gates_Building http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gates_Building
- frakkingcylons 13y ago
  I'm writing this from the Gates Dell Complex at UT. Gates contributed $30 million towards the total $120 million cost of the complex.
ars 13y ago
> Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries with children affected by polio. And now Syria. Worse, sewage monitoring shows that polio is present asymptomatically in the Middle East. It's pure luck that there haven't been active cases. The Middle East needs to be the next target for a major push, but the war in Syria, problems in Egypt, and Muslim distrust of westerners will make it very hard.
- thaumasiotes 13y ago
  > sewage monitoring shows that polio is present asymptomatically in the Middle East. It's pure luck that there haven't been active cases. Do you also consider leaf-shaped insects to have gotten that way by "pure luck"?
  - ars 13y ago
    I don't know what you are talking about. But polio has no symptoms at all in 90% cases, and only minor symptoms in 99% of cases, so yes, luck. Or divine providence.
  - PeterWhittaker 13y ago
    Yes. The pure luck that their ancestors just happened a tiny bit more like a leaf than their fellows, due to a random mutation or random environmental factor affecting gene expression. Over time, many tiny bits of pure luck accreted as something that actually looked almost exactly like a leaf. Natural selection is 100% pure luck. Sexual selection may be as well.
mistermann 13y ago
> Even his worst of technology critics (like me) can't hide away from the fact of his impact on modern society. Actually, there are still some out there who can - they will change the subject, put headphones on, or whatever it takes to avoid the subject. In some ways, many people seem to never get beyond mental adolescence on certain topics.
hrktb 13y ago
It takes time to get used to see Bill Gates as the Gates Foundation man. I saw the TED talks both by him and his wife, and his contributions to different causes reported in different independant venues. But what's making it uncomfortable is the basic dishonesty his previous company was tainted with. Microsoft had a very noble stated mission and had a pretty good image in my teenager memories, Bill Gates inspired a generation of programmers and entrepreneurs...until it was very clear that they had profoundly damaging business practices for the ecosystem and very low company ethics. Now we are talking about all of Bill Gates' energy and dedication to make the world better, but I'd think that his ethics may not have changed so much, nor his his way of thinking. But he's doing good things, right ? Or do we really have a complete view on his activities ? Microsoft brought computing to the masses, the Gates Foundation is bringing vaccines to people in need. Will there be a day when we won't be so fond of the actions of the Gates Foundation ? Are there side effects to what is going on that Bill Gates is aware of, but won't be widly known until years from now ? For all the good we see now, will there be dirt coming out slowly that we won't be so OK with ? I hope there is none of that, really. I just find the narrative of 'he did questionnable things in the past, but now that he's leading a charitable entity it can't be bad. Grow up and praise the man' a bit naive. Fighting polio is good, and the Gates Foundation seems to be doing seriously amazing things. Now I'd still keep a healthy distance, and I'll prefer pushing other entities that I could trust more easily.
- NhanH 13y ago
  The thing to note is that even if Microsoft has damaged the ecosystem or having not-so-high company ethics, they didn't do that just for the sake of being evil. They have a goal (and I don't mean the publicly stated mission) and they just did whatever they need to achieve that. Now, if the goal of Bill Gates is to make the world a better place to live, and he's doing whatever needed be done to achieve that ... Of course things could still not be ideal, but there is actually not that much reason to not trust the foundation. Unless you implies their goals were something else all along :-).
  - studentrob 13y ago
    if someone makes a habit of deviating from their publicly stated mission, do you trust them? nobody sets out to be evil from their perspective, but living up to your word does impact others' perspective of you
D_Alex 13y ago
I get my heckles up when I see people praising Bill Gates lavishly for the money he spend for health care, education et cetera. While these causes are undoubtedly worthwhile, it should not be forgotten that the money Bill Gates controls is tainted by ethically dubious practices that he and Microsoft has engaged in, including ruthless monoolistic practices and copycatting. Overall, the world would be better off if Bill Gates and Microsoft did "the right thing" starting in the 80's. And don't get me started on Paul Allen and the use he made of his Microsoft money... suffice to say he reminds me of the Russian oligarchs.
- denzil_correa 13y ago
  > Overall, the world would be better off if Bill Gates and Microsoft did "the right thing" starting in the 80's. Better late than never.

simonebrunozzi 13y ago

Link doesn't work.

denzil_correa 13y ago
Thanks, I fixed it now.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
pmelendez 13y ago
This seems to be the document he tried to link: http://annualletter.gatesfoundation.org/pdf/2013_AL_English.pdf http://annualletter.gatesfoundation.org/pdf/2013_AL_English....
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

vowelless 13y ago

It is also interesting to see that the Computer Science departments at many of the world's best CS schools are named after Gates [0]. I think generations of computer scientists will be affected by him. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gates_Building http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gates_Building

frakkingcylons 13y ago
I'm writing this from the Gates Dell Complex at UT. Gates contributed $30 million towards the total $120 million cost of the complex.

ars 13y ago

> Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries with children affected by polio. And now Syria. Worse, sewage monitoring shows that polio is present asymptomatically in the Middle East. It's pure luck that there haven't been active cases. The Middle East needs to be the next target for a major push, but the war in Syria, problems in Egypt, and Muslim distrust of westerners will make it very hard.

thaumasiotes 13y ago
> sewage monitoring shows that polio is present asymptomatically in the Middle East. It's pure luck that there haven't been active cases. Do you also consider leaf-shaped insects to have gotten that way by "pure luck"?
- ars 13y ago
  I don't know what you are talking about. But polio has no symptoms at all in 90% cases, and only minor symptoms in 99% of cases, so yes, luck. Or divine providence.
- PeterWhittaker 13y ago
  Yes. The pure luck that their ancestors just happened a tiny bit more like a leaf than their fellows, due to a random mutation or random environmental factor affecting gene expression. Over time, many tiny bits of pure luck accreted as something that actually looked almost exactly like a leaf. Natural selection is 100% pure luck. Sexual selection may be as well.

mistermann 13y ago

> Even his worst of technology critics (like me) can't hide away from the fact of his impact on modern society. Actually, there are still some out there who can - they will change the subject, put headphones on, or whatever it takes to avoid the subject. In some ways, many people seem to never get beyond mental adolescence on certain topics.

hrktb 13y ago

It takes time to get used to see Bill Gates as the Gates Foundation man. I saw the TED talks both by him and his wife, and his contributions to different causes reported in different independant venues. But what's making it uncomfortable is the basic dishonesty his previous company was tainted with. Microsoft had a very noble stated mission and had a pretty good image in my teenager memories, Bill Gates inspired a generation of programmers and entrepreneurs...until it was very clear that they had profoundly damaging business practices for the ecosystem and very low company ethics. Now we are talking about all of Bill Gates' energy and dedication to make the world better, but I'd think that his ethics may not have changed so much, nor his his way of thinking. But he's doing good things, right ? Or do we really have a complete view on his activities ? Microsoft brought computing to the masses, the Gates Foundation is bringing vaccines to people in need. Will there be a day when we won't be so fond of the actions of the Gates Foundation ? Are there side effects to what is going on that Bill Gates is aware of, but won't be widly known until years from now ? For all the good we see now, will there be dirt coming out slowly that we won't be so OK with ? I hope there is none of that, really. I just find the narrative of 'he did questionnable things in the past, but now that he's leading a charitable entity it can't be bad. Grow up and praise the man' a bit naive. Fighting polio is good, and the Gates Foundation seems to be doing seriously amazing things. Now I'd still keep a healthy distance, and I'll prefer pushing other entities that I could trust more easily.

NhanH 13y ago
The thing to note is that even if Microsoft has damaged the ecosystem or having not-so-high company ethics, they didn't do that just for the sake of being evil. They have a goal (and I don't mean the publicly stated mission) and they just did whatever they need to achieve that. Now, if the goal of Bill Gates is to make the world a better place to live, and he's doing whatever needed be done to achieve that ... Of course things could still not be ideal, but there is actually not that much reason to not trust the foundation. Unless you implies their goals were something else all along :-).
- studentrob 13y ago
  if someone makes a habit of deviating from their publicly stated mission, do you trust them? nobody sets out to be evil from their perspective, but living up to your word does impact others' perspective of you

D_Alex 13y ago

I get my heckles up when I see people praising Bill Gates lavishly for the money he spend for health care, education et cetera. While these causes are undoubtedly worthwhile, it should not be forgotten that the money Bill Gates controls is tainted by ethically dubious practices that he and Microsoft has engaged in, including ruthless monoolistic practices and copycatting. Overall, the world would be better off if Bill Gates and Microsoft did "the right thing" starting in the 80's. And don't get me started on Paul Allen and the use he made of his Microsoft money... suffice to say he reminds me of the Russian oligarchs.

denzil_correa 13y ago
> Overall, the world would be better off if Bill Gates and Microsoft did "the right thing" starting in the 80's. Better late than never.